RE: Unfinished Requiem
by DestructoYue
Summary: What is the fate of Leon and the S.T.A.R.S. team? Who is HCF? Read on to find out the truth... Sequel to Umbrella's Requiem.
1. Prologue: HCF Knows Best

**Resident Evil: Unfinished Requiem**

**Text Copyright: ©** **04/23/04 to 04/02/08 DestructoYue**

**Updated: © 04/02/2008, 09/03/08 by DestructoYue**

**DISCLAIMER: The original characters and original scenarios contained within this text are copyright 04/23/2004 - 04/02/2008 by me, DestructoYue. The previously created characters (Leon S. Kennedy, etc.) and previously created scenarios and objects are copyrighted and trademarked by Capcom. This story is an original fan-fiction sequel Umbrella's Requiem. It is in no way meant to offend the reader or Capcom. Permission must be obtained from me if you (the reader) would like to use original content within the text printed hereafter.**

**Author's Note****: The following information begins at the closing of Umbrella's Requiem. Some knowledge of the events may be required for full enjoyment of the story.**

**PROLOGUE : HCF Knows Best**

**"Umbrella is finished, permanently this time," Chris said, embracing Jill. **

**"It sounds to me like this HCF was really only Wesker and ex-Umbrella executives. Now that they're dead, the world is finally safe," Barry said, leaning against the helicoptor. **

**Sherry added, "A happy ending to the story... except for what happened to Xan. He was willing to give up the last anti-virus to save Leon." **

**"He was a great guy, and he will be missed," Leon said sadly. **

**"I hate to break up this happy reunion, but we should do some blood tests on you two. If the anti-virus didn't work, and you two are still infected with the Ashford Virus, we'll find a way to make another antidote, but right now, we can't take any chances," Jill said, concerned about everything that had happened. **_"Something doesn't seem right," _**she thought to herself. **

**"We're fine, but as long as I'm with Leon and Claire, I'm not scared anymore. They'll protect me," Sherry said, smiling.**

**Turning to go inside, everyone was walking to the door, including Barry. Chris made it there first, and held it open for Jill. She walked through, and Barry went through as well. Claire and Leon were a bit behind, with Sherry last. Almost to the door, they realized Sherry wasn't next to them. **

**"Hey, Sherry, come on," Claire said. Both her and Leon turned around, realizing she had her back to them, hunched over. Walking back to her, Chris, Jill, and Barry followed, concerned. **

**"What's going on," Barry asked. All of them standing together a few feet away, Sherry was alone. Slowly, she turned around, standing up straight, and there was a crazed look in her eyes, just like all the villagers who had been infected. **

**Leon yelled, "NO! She's infected by the Ashford Virus!" **

**The screen faded to black and words began to appear in bold lettering:**

**"File Incomplete. Copy and Save from the HCF Database anyway: Yes/ No ? Yes."**

**"Would you like to know more about HCF: Yes/ No ? Yes."**

_"The computer screen goes blank and a flashing message appears: ACCESS DENIED"_

**"Damn it," a male voice said loudly, filled with anger. **_"I have to finish my REAL report this time or they'll rip me a new one when I get back." _**A sound from the hallway: keys on a ring, and one of the guards mumbling to theirself. Just as the door swung open, the man shut off the computer manually by hitting the power button.**

**"Hey, what are you doing in here," yelled the guard, before pausing a moment. "Oh, it's you... Sorry to bother you, sir. I heard something and I... uh... came to check it out."**

**"Hm. Don't worry about it. I was just in the process of finishing my report for the boss when the computer locked up on me. Nothing more," the man at the computer replied, calmly. "Listen, if anybody asks, I was in the lab the whole time, got it?"**

**"Wha-- Oh, Yes, sir. Understood," said the confused guard. "I'll just be on my way...", trailing off, he looked at the man. **_"I don't buy it for one second, but if I question him further, the boss'll cut my hours and put me on graveyard shift for the next month!"_ **The guard turned, and left without further hesitation, back to his station down the hall.**

**Breathing a sigh of relief, Xan Meadows shut the door, and quickly hit the button to restart the computer he had been working on. "Hmph, none of their business. I'm out of here tonight, so hacking into the HCF database is my main concern. Wonder what they are hiding...", he whispered, stopping as the screen came back to life, requiring his log-in code. **_"Good thing I swiped that researcher's card when I had the chance. I hate to deceive the company, but how else will I find out what happened to Leon and the others. I don't understand what HCF wanted me for, but that clone... definitely wasn't the real me. Ahhh..."_

**His thoughts were interupted by pain in his back. It had been a month, and he still had pain from the needle they jammed into his spine. **_"As soon as I find Leon... IF he's still alive... we'll take down HCF, one way or another. The villager they injected with the Ashford Virus had been taken a couple weeks before Leon arrived. Figures they thought of everything. All along they planned to take out Wesker and Umbrella. The only thing missing were cells from my spine. In return, they injected me with something to heal my wounds more quickly. They said it's 'something new, to help with the pain'. Liars..." _**He was back where he left off, at the source of all HCF's secrets.**

**Realizing his error, this time, he entered the researcher's name and date of birth -- instead of his own D.O.B.**

**"Log-In Complete. Access Granted."**

**"WARNING: The following information is to be kept strictly confidential."**

**A menu appeared with three options:**

**Umbrella Corp. : Ashford Virus - Umbrella's Requiem Incident Pt. I**

**Umbrella Corp. : Ashford Virus - Umbrella's Requiem Incident Pt. II**

**HCF - Our Goals For The Future TOP SECRET - Requires separate Log-In**

**He was tempted to click on the third, but had only watched part one of the "Incident". Selecting the second option, nothing happened. "What the... Nevermind," Xan spoke quietly, realizing patience was a virtue. Before finishing his statement words began to appear on the screen.**

**Umbrella Corp. : Ashford Virus - Umbrella's Requiem Incident Pt. II -- Accessed: ****2**** Times Using Current Log-In. All actions will be recorded and later reviewed by the President of our great company within 24 hours. Do you wish to continue? Yes ****X ****/ No **

**Hitting 'Enter', Xan was ready for the truth. As the screen fades away, a video begins, and he tries to prepare himself as his heart beats rapidly in his chest. "I have to know...", came the words, barely more than a whisper.**

**Are we ready to know the truth about Leon, everyone else and Umbrella? Yes/ No ? **


	2. Ch I: Umbrella's Requiem 2

**CHAPTER ONE: Umbrella's Requiem Part II**

**The signal was distorted, something was interfering with the camera on the HCF satellite that hovered miles above. After a few seconds, three humans appeared: Leon, Claire, and Sherry (if she can still be called human at that point). No sign of Jill, Barry or Chris... Gunshots off-screen and the camera quickly pans to the right - Chris fires one more shot as Sherry lunges at his throat, gripping so tightly that his face goes a pale white. Gasping for air, he struggles to free himself from her intense grip, but she loses interest as he starts to pass out. Claire is frantically rushing to her brother, hoping his clip isn't empty. Leon tackles Sherry from behind, putting all his weight into it, trying to pin her to the ground, but she throws him off like a ragdoll. **

**Her lips are stained red with blood - whose blood? The camera zooms out to show the grisly scene: Barry holding a crimson piece of cloth at Jill's throat as she gushes blood from a bite-sized wound; his arm is wrapped in a makeshift tourniquet, blood streaming down to his wrist - a large gash stretching several inches. Off-screen, sounds of a struggle and Claire screaming... Panning down, Sherry has her by the throat... scratching, squeezing, anything to stop the sound... Leon comes to her aid, kicking Sherry in the back of the knee, causing her to fall, while Claire grabs at her throat, bleeding and gagging violently.**

**As she tries to stand, Leon quickly puts his arm around her throat, very aware of the fact she could bite him and infect him once more... Barry, not one to cry, screams in agony as Jill dies in his arms, breathing her last breath, just as Chris is coming around. Gently he lays her lifeless body on the ground, and carefully closes her eyes. Chris, realizing what has happened, falls to his knees sobbing... But the nightmare was only just beginning... Barry stood, turned and with a crazed look in his eyes, removed his gun from it's holster... Aiming with blind rage, he fired off three shots, shattering Sherry's skull with the first two, shooting Leon in the shoulder with the other, barely missing his heart.**

**Behind him, Jill is stirring from her eternal slumber, no longer lifeless, as he shakes and shudders with anger. Closing his eyes, he turns to Chris, but is too late: Jill grabs him by the shoulders, and bites deep into his throat, ripping flesh and muscle as a spray of blood escapes the wound. The bite had infected her quickly, and reanimated her, just like the corpses from the mansion so long ago... As Chris fell upon her, she continued feeding her one desire... Barry, too pissed to care, shot them both in the skull, ending one's misery, and the other's undead feast. **

**Claire and Leon were the only two left... But how long would it be before they turned**_? Do I fucking shoot them... do I wait and let them get me... I can't do this to the girls... not to my wife... I won't let them suffer! NEVER! _**Without a word, he pointed the gun at Claire, the only one with visible wounds... His finger began to squeeze the trigger... a hair away from firing... Leon tackled Barry from behind with his other shoulder, much weaker in his injured state... The gun went off, and the video began to distort again, and paused for nearly a minute...**

**What happened to the only three survivors?**


	3. Ch II: The End of STARS

**CHAPTER TWO: The End of S.T.A.R.S.**

**When the gun discharged, there was a momentary silence as the remaining three struggled to register what was happening, what had already happened, and what was still to come. Seconds went by... seconds that seemed like days, weeks, months... seconds that may never end, before time itself forced them onward once more, revealing what none were ready to face, the truth.**

**The bullet shredded from Barry's chin, through his skull, and out the back, sending a mess of blood, bone, and brain matter flying. His body suddenly becoming heavy, falling on top of Leon, pinning him to the ground, and grinding the open wound on his shoulder into the hard cement. He bumped his head hard, knocked unconscious from the blow, but far from dead. The smell of burning flesh, the copper taste of blood in his mouth, then all was dark as he slept, unsure when or if he would wake again.**

**Not fully realizing what had happened, Claire blinked once, then her eyes focused on the final corpses of her friends and family. Nothing was left, not even her lover, Leon... Everything, gone in those few moments of carefree bliss when everyone forgot about Sherry. Umbrella had to pay, someone had to pay, but who... She didn't stop to think, didn't care if she lived or died as she picked up the gun, the metal burning her fingers as she touched it, causing her to nearly drop it.**

**The picture began to break up, pause, distort again, as if some interference wanted to block Xan or anyone from seeing what happened next... and then... it was over. A 'BANG!' echoed througout the room, and the screen was black for a few moments, before finally loading the menu again. Sitting in silence, as tears rolled down his cheeks, he banged his fist hard on the desk with a thud and closed his eyes. Leon, Sherry, and Barry... Claire, Jill, Chris... Everyone in this world who was left that could help him was gone... The sound had to be the end of Claire... and with his wounds, Leon would've died, no question about that... But what... what was there left to do? HCF gave him a home... gave him a 'new life', with all the money he could need, and a job that was guaranteed for at least another 50 years, according to the head of the company...**

**"No matter what, we'll make sure you make it to retirement. Trust me, I'm nearly 70 with the internal organs of a 25 year old, and the external appearance of a man merely 40, all thanks to our researchers. Don't worry about cancer, disease, even death... **_We'll make sure of it_**!"**

_"Hmph like I can trust that bastard..." _**Xan whispered to himself, sighing deeply with grief, exhaustion and depression. Only one thing left to do before shutting down the computer and going to bed for the night in his private room at the facility: check his secure e-mail and make sure the boss didn't have any more projects for him to work on. He had a habit of sending them late night, when he "couldn't sleep on account of the nightmares." ** _I don't see how I'm going to sleep either after what I just witnessed... Fucking bastards, and their bullshit excuses... all they ever did for anyone was ruin their lives and take away all that was important to them... I'll make them pay this time even on my own..._

**Logging out of the fake account, he opened the company's e-mail server and signed in with his usual information. There were no e-mails, and he breathed a sigh of relief. As he moved the pointer to the 'logout' icon, something caught his eye. The "Drafts" folder had a (1) next to it. "When did I..." he thought aloud, and his heartbeat increased rapidly, the subject line was something he never expected to see: "reply by 2 am its L" Not waiting to find out, he quickly opened the draft e-mail and started to read, hoping it was what he was looking for all along.**

**Could the L stand for...?**


	4. Ch III: Reunion

**CHAPTER THREE: Reunion**

**Hoping it wasn't some cruel prank set up by a 'friend' of his who randomly hacked into the e-mail accounts, he read frantically:**

Xan, I know what you just saw, and I know where you are. Follow up on what I have to say and I'll consider that your reply. Meet me at the bar two blocks away, it's secure - I know the owner and they'll let you in the back and it's closed to everyone else. Knock 3 times - once at the top, then at the bottom, and last at the middle of the door. If anyone follow you, I won't hesitate to kill you. If you betray us, you'll regret it, trust me. I don't have time for fucking games. Our wounds have healed and we came back for you... Delete this and erase any traces of it before you leave. This is your one and only chance, my friend. Don't screw it up. -- L

**"Damn it... could it really be him... but he said 'our', does that mean...?" He looked at his watch: 12:45 a.m. It would take 15 minutes to get to the bar, so he decided to head back to his room for awhile and rest. Everyone else was asleep, including the lazy guard who should've been keeping an eye on the security monitors. As he entered the room, he suddenly felt very tired, and fell onto the bed fast asleep. **

**Xan woke up from a horrible nightmare. The bar was a setup, and Wesker was there with the Umbrella executives. They injected him with the Ashford Virus once more and instead of mutating, his body melted into a pile of goo, nothing left but a single vial or the liquid. Groggy from the rude awakening, he checked his watch: 1:42 a.m. He would have just enough time to get to the bar if he hurried - and the guard was still asleep.**

**Slowly he crept past the guard's room and used the researcher's ID Card to get through the secure doors, hoping no one would notice that the real one was sleeping until long after he returned. Once out of the building, he jogged briskly through the parking lot, and out the front gate. Strangely, the guards must be taking a break: no one was there when he looked through the bulletproof glass. Running quickly to the point his sides began to ache, he made it to the alleyway of the bar with a couple minutes to spare. He rested, panting heavily, out of breath and out of shape, his only exercise being walking around the facility. Standing up straight, his watch beeped, signaling "2 a.m." and he knocked high, low, then in the middle and a deep voice asked "Who are you?"**

Xan stuttered but stated his name, and the owner opened the door, a shotgun pointed at him, but let him enter and pass. "Go upstairs, first door on the left if you want to reply." He nodded, hearing the door slam and lock behind him and the owner brushed past him and sat down behind the counter, picking up a newspaper he had been reading. Not wanting to keep "L" waiting any longer, Xan quickly went up the stairs, and knocked on the first door on the left. No answer. He tried the knob - locked. A click right behind his ear and a female voice spoke next. "Turn around, very slowly or I'll blow your brains all over the wall."

As he started to turn, he was so scared he nearly pissed himself with fear. _Fuck, it was a setup... I'm dead... _**The woman had brown hair to her shoulders, and looked familiar, except a few scars on her throat. She glared at him with a look that said it all, "I won't hesitate to kill you!" She had lost almost everyone that mattered to her, and she didn't care if one more death had to occur to get her revenge. Her name was Claire Redfield.**

**"C-Claire... w-where's Leon? Isnt he here?" She pushed the gun in his face and told him to 'move!', tilting her head to the right, towards the only other door in the hallway. He walked, stumbling a bit, but she picked him up by the back of his coat with surprising strength. Not questioning her further, he stopped in front of the door, and she yelled 'open it!' but as he reached for the knob, he heard a familiar voice and his heart began to beat faster still. When the door opened, he breathed a sigh of relief: Leon was there, alive and as well as could be expected after what they had all been through. Unfortunately for him... so was the researcher whose ID he had stolen, smiling as Leon gave him a briefcase of "shut-the-fuck-up money" and new documents to get him out of the country and somewhere safe. **

**"You won't be coming back, so don't even plan on telling your family, friends, or others where you are, or I will personally track you down and kill you, understand?" The man stuttered then finally nodded instead and quickly exited the room and rushed down the stairs and out of the bar. As he stood up, Leon S. Kennedy had a fierce look in his eyes, filled with anger, sadness, and what could only be described as a lust for revenge - the very same as Claire.**

**Briefly, he shook Xan's hand and had them all sit down in the room and shut the door. He explained that the owner was "like an uncle" to him after his parents died 10 years ago, and he had urged him to become an officer, like his father was years before. Feeling that he owed him at least one favor, being the driving force that put him in the mess at Raccoon City, he shrugged it off when Leon asked for the secret meeting. And then the story began of how they survived.**

**Claire was too angry to care, too pissed to want to live, and Leon was too weak to stop her... She pulled the trigger, but no bullets were left. Leon yelled to her with his last bit of strength before passing out once more, and she helped nurse him back to health with First Aid Spray, Green & Red Herbs, and minor surgery to close the wounds from the bullet. A simple compound of two Green Herbs healed her wounds, but her voice had changed... Not just because of the wounds, but because of what she saw, and ever since, he was the only one she spoke 'nicely' to, and he was all she had left. **

**Two weeks after the incident, they were on their way to Xan, having to travel only the back roads and use underground sources to gather information on his whereabouts. On the fifth day, they caught wind of "HCF" and their plans to take over and improve Umbrella's products for the good of the world - but without the negative, harsh side effects. Further digging found that it was lead by Albert Wesker, in an attempt to bring about the resurrection of the former corporation, but upon his death, someone entirely unknown had taken over, and it was still a mystery as to whom it was. Xan knew though... he worked for "the boss" since Day 1. And HCF was just another Umbrella, waiting to open on a day when the world felt the acidic rain of chemicals and viruses once more - only this time, it was on a much deeper level. **

**Having only the one facility, all research, all testing, was done there, and 99 of the world had no idea they even existed in the first place. After the fall of Umbrella, no one trusted pharmaceuticals, chemicals, testing... most didn't even trust "science" anymore, as schools worldwide banned the use of anything even remotely biological or chemical, causing an uproar in scientific communities. The world had changed as if overnight, but the evil residing in the hearts of man would never disappear, as long as there was greed and corruption, and the need for absolute control, which is what HFC craved more than life itself. No matter the cost, they would finish what Umbrella started, and it was up to Leon, Claire, and Xan to stop them, and put an end to the surviving horror once and for all.**

**Explaining his plan, Leon went on for the next hour drawing maps of routes, giving careful timing for what they would try two nights later. He was a genius when it came to revenge, and Claire only smiled as he talked so elegantly. She loved him, and he knew it, smiling up at her from time to time, as if the initial 'meeting' with a gun shoved in his face never happened. But tonight was business, pleasure would come later, for the whole world in fact, if they succeeded. **

**It would take a grand total of four hours from start to finish, but the timing was crucial, they would only have from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and if they failed, all was lost for all of humanity. It was truly the most important mission Leon had ever attempted, and nothing could change his mind: Xan was either with him, or against him - which meant instant death before he could set foot out of that room. But Xan made up his mind already, he would do whatever it took to take down HCF, no matter the cost.**

**He finished explaining the plan and all three were tired. Giving a secure phone to Xan, he told him to call if anything changed, and they could move the plan forward at any time. Sending him on his way, it was quite 'early' in the morning, and the new shift would be starting soon so he had to get back before the new guards arrived. When he got to the gate, there was only one guard, and he seemed preoccupied with eating something, his back turned to Xan, not even noticing.**

**As he stepped past the guard station, he stepped in something sticky, but assuming it was gum, he lifted up his shoe, pulled it off with a tissue, and threw it on the ground. It was too dark for anyone to see him as he cross the parking lot and reentered the building. His right shoe make a bit of a 'squeaking' noise as he walked on the freshly waxed floor, mostly as a result of what he had stepped in. He thought better of it, stopped, and pulled his shoes off, walking in just socks, but as he turned, he noticed red on the normally white floor... Looking at the bottom of his shoe, and then his hands, he realized: blood.**

**Had Xan been bleeding?**


	5. Ch IV: Surviving Evil

**CHAPTER FOUR: Surviving Evil**

**He wasn't bleeding, but rather he must've stepped in something outside. Maybe red bubblegum and the coloring got on his hands. Sighing as he walked on, he noticed the guard was sitting in front of the monitors, a bit too upright to be normal. "H-hey, you okay in there?" No response. Xan cautiously entered the room and turned the chair around, then proceeded to vomit harshly in a nearby wastebasket. "FU--" he was cut off by another round of emptying the contents of his stomach... The guard was only half there: his intestines had been ripped out, his throat bitten through, and his legs... were on the floor, under the desk, seperated from the body. Trying to compose himself well enough that he could dial Leon, he rushed back to his room, shut the door, and locked it.**

**He thought frantically as he dialed: **_I remember the guards in both stations talking the other day, one had been bitten when he went to feed the researcher's "pets"... but what the hell?! That's fucking cannibal, like... zombies, but... they weren't doing that kind of research again were they? _**Two rings, and still no answer.**_ But... th-those villagers... they were insane too... and... _**Three rings. **_What the hell am I supposed to do? I don't have a gun... _**"We're sorry, the party you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try your call again later." **_SON of a BITCH! Why the hell isn't he answering?? He couldn't be dead... probably sleeping... fuck... I can't get out of here, I can't stay, I can't do anything! How many... could be infected by whatever the hell it is...? Why is th--_**RING... His cell phone was ringing. He picked up on the second ring and heard Leon's voice, "What's going on, Xan?"**

Quickly, he explained what was happening, and Leon promised to be there as soon as possible with Claire, just sit tight and wait as long as he could. Leon was pissed... barely any sleep, and the plan had to go forward, TONIGHT. Drinking a cup of coffee and taking some caffeine pills, he gently woke Claire and explained while they both got dressed. Loading up two bags and a backpack with their guns and supplies, they got in the car and drove to the gate, stopping 20 feet back. The guard Xan mentioned was gone, but the headlights were shining on a bloody mess the trailed through the parking lot. Climbing over the gate, they both jumped to the ground and briskly walked through the early morning sunrise and up to the front door. It was wide open, no guards, nothing, just blood on the keycard panel. 

**Taking out his cell phone, he asked Xan what kind of clearance that guard would have. After thinking a moment, Xan realized: the guards lived there in the facility, in the residential area two blocks down from research... They would have access to anywhere besides the executive branch! "Shit!" yelled Leon, frustrated that the situation was already out of control. He let out a sigh and hung up, leaving Xan hanging on a thread, ready to snap and have a breakdown any moment. He wasn't ready for this, not again, and with no weapon, he couldn't even defend himself. The plan was already falling apart, and they only had 3 hours to complete their mission before the executives woke up. With no guards, it would make things go easier, but they had no idea what was in store for them. **

**The 'new' virus was still a mystery: all they knew is that like before, it turned them into zombies, murderers that fed on the flesh of the living. Standing next to the guard station, Claire could smell rotting flesh, and unloaded three bullets into the skull of the deceased, dismembered guard for good measure, as the eyes opened and blood gurgled from the gaping wound in the throat, one arm outstretched towards her, and the torso slumped over with a splat, hitting the floor. Luckily, head shots still seemed effective - for now! But what secrets could HCF be keeping?**

**What is the true purpose of the new virus?**


	6. Ch V: Residential Horrors

**CHAPTER FIVE: Residential Horrors**

**Xan waited, and waited, and waited still... Hearing pounding on his door, he stood up, but the voice didn't match what he wanted to hear. "Xan, get out of here, something's fucking wrong, man... People are changing... dying... coming back but not the same! You have to get out while you can!" He was cut off from saying more by a loud screech and two gunshots. "Xan, are you in there? This is security, we've got the situation under control, just go back to sleep... you've got a long day ahead of you, he he he." The voice sounded familiar, like one of the guards, but somehow... different, as if he had went insane. There was a wet sound... a familiar sound... as if someone was ripping flesh and muscle... Another voice... a second guard, talking with his mouth full about how "it tastes just like chicken, doesn't it?" **

**Xan held back vomiting by thinking of Leon and Claire, how hard it must be for them going through this again, him just sitting there, wasting time, needing rescue. He couldn't just sit there and wait, he had to do something, anything, but what could he use as a weapon? The company had been making him take self defense classes, but he was far behind the skill of those guards... He would either have to catch them off-guard, or distract them long enough to get their gun and shoot them... He was much better with a gun than his fists, so that would be his only chance. Bracing himself for what was on the other side of the door, he quickly opened it and rushed into the hall. But the guards were already distracted. Both guns lying on the floor a few feet away, they were feeding on the man who tried to warn him just moments earlier.**

**Using this moment to his advantage, he grabbed one gun and aimed carefully, pulling the trigger, then aimed again, pulled the trigger, taking out both guards before they could be alerted to his presence. The researcher was dead, too much loss of blood, limbs, organs. Nothing could be done... The second guard, still alive, started to sit up, coughing up blood and laughing. His skin quickly began to regenerate around the bullet hole, having missed his brain and only went out the side of his skull. "Fucking idiot... give me that before you hurt somebody..." **

**He started to stand, and Xan realized what was going on: the new virus had stages... upon death, they reanimated as a zombie... but started to rapidly regenerate! Unless the brain was no longer able to function... He had heard about an animal they brought in, it had been dead for a week! But he didn't think they could use it on... humans too... The man lunged at Xan, and he quickly fired, taking half of the skull off and near-point-blank range. The body slumped to the ground, and he stood there, shaking violently. **_How could they do this...? It's worse than before... so much worse... There's no way to stop it, except a bullet to the head... and even that's not for sure... _**Calling up Leon, alerting him to his situation, they agreed to meet up in the cafeteria, the only place that should be deserted this time of morning as it was closed for another hour. **

**Xan took any clips he could find on the guards, and ran, not wanting to stop and look at the carnage around him, corpses lining the walls, possibly reanimating at any moment, and he couldn't take the risk of using all his bullets before then, but he was stopped several times, but quick to defend himself with violence. Two bullets left... **

**Will he make it to the cafeteria in time?**


	7. Ch VI: Meeting of the Dead

**CHAPTER SIX: Meeting of the Dead**

**Leon and Claire waited, drinking half a pot of freshly brewed coffee as they waited. Their nerves were shot, their minds a mess as they waited for any sign of normal life. Claire was the first to speak. "What do you think will happen if Xan runs out of bullets?" Leon had already been thinking the same thing. None of the people so far had clearance to the executive level. Their bags lightened as they had moved along, leaving behind empty clips and stalled guns. They always did have the backup hunting knife and if Xan called, one of them could go... If they knew how to get to him. The GPS Leon had brought was damaged, so navigating the maze of corridors would be next to impossible without someone who knew this place very well. And without proper clearance... **

**"I guess one of us can go if he calls, and when they return, we'll all have breakfast?" He was joking and she knew it. The living dead - more living than dead this time around - feasting on the innocent and just plain humans was enough to turn their stomachs, but they had nerves of steel under most circumstances, certainly when they had enough sleep and weren't wired on high doses of caffeine. **

**Claire walked off for a moment, looking through the cabinets next to the coffee maker. Besides a few packets of sweetener and more coffee grounds, there wasn't much to be had. The door to the kitchen was locked and it would be a shame to waste a few rounds busting the lock. A loud noise echoed throughout the mostly empty cafeteria. One of the researchers had made it, but they were bleeding from the throat, the wound rapidly closing as their eyes glow red and an evil grin flashed across their face before they began to sprint towards them!**

**Without warning, the doors on the other side busted open and another figure came through, but before Leon and Claire could aim or even consider getting a shot off... The second figure fired twice and took out the researcher, both headshots. "Sorry I'm late, guess you couldn't start the meeting without me, huh?"**

**Claire threw a coffee mug at Xan for making jokes and turned back to the coffee, pouring him a cup while he stood up, the mug barely missing him as he ducked, Leon laughing all the while before Claire started glaring at him; he stopped almost instantly. She handed him the coffee and they all sat down, quiet for a few minutes, trying to gather their thoughts. Lucky for them, there weren't very many people in the facility at any given time, and they'd already dealt with over half of them. Then again, most of the people seemed to be 'replaced' on a weekly basis, so there could be more hiding somewhere...**

**All three spoke about their experiences over the past month, mostly Xan explaining how the boss made him his personal "friend" and allowed him access to almost anything. Almost. He had no idea they were making such 'enhancements' to the virus, but he had suspicions all along and knew their intentions were never meant for good. The only computer with full access was the one in that office... and only with the boss's login codes and no one had ever actually seen the boss face-to-face... Did he even have a face, or was he even human for that matter? No one knew, but they would find out, one way or another. Thirty minutes passed, and the 'boss' would be waking up in less than 2 hours. They had to find his room and force him to give up the information they needed... **

**After that, it was up to Claire, she's the one who lost the most in the last encounter... Sherry was little a little sister to her, Chris was her only remaining real family... Barry like an uncle, and Jill like an older sister. She sighed and Leon instinctively put an arm around her. Xan looked up with a shocked look in his eyes. Maybe it was the caffeine, maybe it was the incident... or maybe it was...**

"I have an idea. It's risky, but it might work. If we can get into the executive section, I can override the security clearance to his room and we can catch him off-guard! But there's a catch... one of us will have to stay behind. The hallway leading to his office only accomodates 350 pounds per login, or the security kicks on and trust me, it's worse than you'd think... You wouldn't make it two steps before it killed you... and that's if you're fast. But... who should go?" Xan was trying to remember where the doctor's office was; he had went there twice but this place was so huge it was easy to get confused. There was a digital scale in there that was accurate to within 5 ounces. He remembered there was a map on the computer console he had accessed before, the one he used to find out about Leon and the others...

**"Let's go check out the computer, I know where we can check our weight, so we can determine who stays and who goes." Picking up their equipment, all three left the cafeteria. They checked with the computer, and Xan lead them to a doctor's office not far away, between the researcher labs and residential section. But they ran into a bit of a problem...**

**After weighing in, with minimal equipment, their combined weight exceeded the maximum allowed by 215 pounds. Leon weighed 220, Xan 200, Claire 145. The only option was for Leon to stay behind, while Xan and Claire went on ahead without him, letting him provide security to the entrance in case anything happened. It wouldn't be an issue really if they could just hand off the card, but... it would be required at the end of the hall to use the ID card a second time and it was too far to risk throwing it. Worse still, they would be stranded on the other end... Hesitating, they all agreed it was for the best, and if nothing else, Claire was skilled enough to handle her own protection. Using Xan's card, they entered the executive area.**

**Can they find the room in time?**


	8. Ch VII: Executive Decisions

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Executive Decisions**

**As all three entered, they were greeted by a stale air. It had been sealed off from the rest of the facility in such a way that nothing could get in or out without proper clearance. The area was obviously untainted by the infection that had spread almost instantaneously throughout the previous sections, but they were still cautious as they moved through. **_They must be on vacation... damn it! _**Any time Xan had been there before, plenty of people roamed the halls, at least two dozen by his estimates, not including the boss. He always kept his face covered, saying the one time anyone was brave enough to ask: "The scars are much too unpleasant, I couldn't bear to have others see me in such a state..." After that, the person was never seen again, and no one dared risk their jobs from that point forward. **

**Making their way through the halls, they found the main office and used Xan's ID Card to enter. It was very large, full of expensive furniture and paintings. Guns hung on the walls as trophies in place of animals. A black leather chair with a high back behind a very modern desk. The computer console more advanced than any Xan had ever seen. But they didn't have time... Somewhere in that office was an access point that lead to the boss's private quarters. He had been there only once himself... when the boss invited him in for a drink the day he hired him. Xan inquired about the security system, and he had explained the specifics, but for that time only, he bypassed all security long enough for them both to enter, and only Xan to leave. **

**But he couldn't remember where the access point was... They searched until finally a hollow book turned up a gold flip-top lighter inside that, when lit, opened a pathway to the boss's room. Immediately, lights came on in the hall, very bright and a door at least fifty yards away was illuminated, a separate panel in place of a handle or lock.**

**Leon was already on the computer, trying to find any way to hack into the security, but after ten minutes with no luck, he let Xan take over and sighed. Within five, the security was bypassed on the lock at the other end, allowing someone with only level A-5 Clearance access - Xan's card being the only with that amount of security, besides the S-10 needed for the boss's card. In two weeks, he had cracked all of the security protocols besides the final login needed for the last bit of information that only the boss had access to. But now was the time to move forward and get what they needed...**

**Claire dropped off anything she didn't need and made one last check of the equipment she could fit in her backpack while Xan picked up a couple guns of his own, leaving the rest for Leon in case he ran into a problem. To speed things along, Leon would stay at the computer, downloading anything he could that would incriminate HCF for their crimes in the event anyone from the company survived the big finale he had in store for them. Claire looked at him and whispered, "It'll be fine... just watch our back and keep your ass in that seat. We'll call you when we get the login info and you can start while I take care of the boss."**

**Leon nodded, then hugged her, then Xan, and wished them luck before they turned and Xan scanned his card, the words 'Access Granted' spoken as the first barrier opened and they ventured into the corridor, having the door slide shut behind them. The lights were bright, hot, and unpleasant enough that one would need sunglasses to shield them from it... **

**Who is the boss of HCF?**


	9. Ch VIII: Unpleasant Memories

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Unpleasant Memories**

**Walking down the corridor, Claire let Xan lead, the heat causing them to both sweat badly so they hurried to the end as quick as they could, the journey seeming much longer than it was. Swiping his card, Xan let Claire go through first, then followed, the door once again closing behind them. They were in a bedroom that seemed familiar to Claire... but she couldn't quite remember from where she had seen it. There was a king size bed and a single man sleeping alone in it, a sleep mask covering the upper half of his face, with blonde hair. On the nightstand was a pair of expensive black sunglasses next to a handgun, a pack of cigarettes, and a second gold lighter - real this time.**

"So you've finally come, Claire" the man said quite loud for someone who should be sleeping. Quickly she drew her gun and pointed it at him, and Xan followed suit by doing the same. She was startled at first, but shouted, "How the fuck do you know my name? Answer before I blow your head off!"

**He sat up and slowly removed the mask... revealing the hair and eyes of Albert Wesker... but the remaining facial features of Chris Redfield - her brother - both of which were very much dead!! The voice kept going back and forth between that of Chris and Wesker... He smiled evilly and began to speak.**

"You might wonder what happened... They saved us both by combining our cells and organs... I guess you could say you get the best of both huh? I was shocked to wake up with Chris' memories, and my own, but in a body that was mostly that of Chris. It was strange at first, the effects of the new virus, but as you can see, it's done wonders for your dear brother! Ha, ha ha..." He coughed and gagged as his voice went back to that of Chris, her brother. "Claire, don't listen to him, he's fucking evil! They used me... I never wanted... this..." Wesker was staring at them, but it was Chris on the inside, but for how long? How could they know any of this was real... It was too much for Claire, and she fell to the floor sobbing. Xan quickly went to help her up, lowering his gun in the process, but the new Wesker was too quick.

**A shot was fired, striking Xan in the lower leg - the bullet passing through into the wall behind them - luckily mising bone, but causing him to fall over in pain, and just as quickly, the gun was trained on Claire who looked up at what might've once been her brother, but was now just a monster that looked somewhat like him. Xan was bleeding but he managed to rip off a strip of his shirt and tie it tightly in a makeshift tourniquet on his leg, but he would need medical attention soon. **

**The man climbed out of bed and put a shirt on, still keeping the gun pointed at Claire and Xan, already having clothing on his lower half. Slipping on boots, he even dressed halfway like Chris and Wesker combined. Needing his morning cigarette, he flicked the pack, removed one with his lips, and lit it with the same hand after setting down the pack on the nightstand again. All of his movements seemed too quick to be human... Had Wesker's speed carried over from his last version...? It seemed as though Wesker would never die... having already survived twice now. Putting on the sunglasses, the lenses were very dark, but the red still seemed to shine through...**

**"So, how have you been, dear Claire? Chris spoke so highly of his little sister and still speaks of you from time to time... but only when I let him do so. Stupid prick, always did think he was better than me! But I showed him... I helped create the Ashford Virus, the very one responsible for Sherry. It was beautiful, but now I've perfected it with the Wesker Virus and Redfield Anti-virus. The Wesker virus regenerates, while the anti-virus fixes the side-effects. I am truly invincible now... nothing can kill me... and now you'll both die!" Wesker quickly threw down his gun and rushed forward, grabbing both by the throat and picking them up off the ground, choking them. But he was interupted... **

**The doors to the hallway opened and Leon came rushing through guns blazing, hitting the Wesker-Chris ten times before he dropped the clips, then jumped through the doorway, kicking him in the chest, causing him to let go of Leon's two friends and fall backwards to the floor. Leon punched him in the face several times, breaking the sunglasses, revealing evil red eyes looking back at him, and wounds quickly healing. Claire and Xan both gasping for air, reached for their guns and tried to stand. Claire helping Xan to his feet. All three now standing over Wesker-Chris as he laughed evilly, coughed and gagged, then his voice changed, and he looked up at them, now Chris' voice.**

"Please... kill me... the eyes... are the weakness... shoot the eyes... then the brain... we'll... both die... but it's... the only way... FUCK YOU CHRIS! FUCK YO--" Three shots were fired simultaneously, and the combination creature died... it began to shake violently, then stopped. The wounds that were healing stopped as they were and he moved, breathed, spoke no further. Claire sobbed as she held onto Leon, dropping her gun to the floor, and Xan stood, his eyes closed. They still had two things left to do... They all had their revenge, but they had to destroy the HCF facility after downloading all of their top secret files. 

**Leon, Claire, and Xan accessed the computer together, using "A WESKER" and "CHRIS R" as the login and password, followed by "Access Granted". They didn't have time to read what any of it said, so once the words "Download Complete" appeared, they activated the self destruct sequence, but the timer was shorter than they though: 15 minutes!**

**Do they have enough time to escape?**


	10. Ch IX: Escape From HCF

**CHAPTER 9: Escape From HCF**

**They ran, trying to escape, but came to a horrible realization... The entire main hall of the executive branch was full of people, all of which had red eyes! Twenty infected executives, with only one way to stop them, shots through the eyes, then the brain... One hundred bullets left for the remainder through the finale...**

**Xan and Claire took out five each before the first wave reached them directly. Using hand-to-hand combat, they had to be careful and in the struggle Leon had taken out all but four... two occupied by Claire and Xan, two coming after him. No time to reload for any of them, and only twenty bullets left. So many bullets were wasted in the crossfire, but none of the executives were armed. The remaining four seemed... different though. Each looked like someone they had known... Jill... Barry... Sherry... and the last, the owner of the bar! **

**Jill faced off against Claire, Barry against Xan, the remaining two went after Leon. Three were clones, but Leon knew the bar owner was the original... Somehow, the years of being apart, he never realized he was an employee of HCF! It must've all been a setup from the start... Nothing to do now but fight, they tried their best, but failed... Barry had Xan on the floor, but was flipped off of him and Xan got off two shots before being tackled again, one eye left... Claire took on Jill, shooting her in both eyes but was being choked. Leon fired seven shots, taking out Sherry first, then finishing off Barry. Quickly he fired two more shots, missing once, and killing Barry with the other. Only seven shots remained... The owner of the bar was fast, and Leon rain out of bullets. Only Claire had ammo, but she missed 4 times... Xan took the gun and fired twice, hitting the creature in the skull once, and one eye. One bullet remained...**

**Leon took the gun, ready to finish off the monster that had been his mentor all those years ago... but missed, the bullet going wide. The monster grabbed him by the throat and shook him violently, and before he could break free, he grabbed the hunting knife -- a joint-gift for his high school graduation from his father and the man attempting to kill him then... Kicking free, he sent the man flying backwards, and whispered, "I'm sorry..." before plunging the knife deep into the remaining eye and out the back of the skull, the body falling down to the ground with a thud. Everyone was dead, and Xan's watch beeped signaling the next hour. Only 5 minutes remained...**

**They all ran as quickly as they could, all the doors unlocked, and with two minutes to spare, they sprinted as quickly as they could, out the front door, and several human-zombies chased them but got caught up in the doorway as the three humans escaped unscathed. One minute... halfway across the parking lot... Forty-five seconds... to the gate... 20 seconds... one over the gate... 10 seconds... Claire over the gate, with Xan left to climb... With Xan on top of the gate, the blast began, starting at the back of the facility and quickly rushing forward! Falling to the other side, the three huddled together in a nearby ditch next to the road and the debris went flying, vaporizing parts of the facility, while others remained intact enough to send large chunks of metal and stone. Ten feet away two pieces of metal caught their eye... it was the knife Leon had left behind and a slightly burnt gold lighter, that belonged to Chris - a gift from Claire when he left home to pursue his dream and become a member of S.T.A.R.S. Both kept the momentos of those they cared for and walked away, fire raging behind them. Leon held Claire close, while Xan walked beside them after picking up a strange vial of liquid - most likely the combined Wesker Virus-Redfield Antivirus, the sun high in the Noon sky, a perfect blue without a cloud in sight.**


	11. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

**The disc was damaged during their escape, and with no proof of what they were planning, Leon, Claire, and Xan had no way to prove their reasoning. Fortunately, the whole incident was covered up by the local papers, and it never became national or worldwide news. "HARTFORD CHEMICAL FACILITY DESTROYED IN FIRE" The story went on to say an accident caused a rather large explosion, destroying anyone and anything inside instantly. The incident appeared to be entirely accidental and no investigation was ever made. Strange incidents began to occur in the town nearby... Unexplained disappearances from the hospital, wounds that rapidly healed on their own, and strange red eyes... But no deaths were ever reported. All 'victims' returned home complaining that they didn't understand how, or why, but it must be a miracle as to why they survived...**

**Three knew the truth, but never thought to share it. They had the same, glowing red eyes... after effects of the explosion and touching the three items they kept as momentos of the horrific, evil events they had survived, the ones that resided in their mind for the rest of their lives, haunting them in such a way that no one could ever truly know.**

**No side effects, besides the eyes, which were easily covered up with color contact lenses, and they were never questioned why they wore them. Leon and Claire retired to a cabin in the mountains but kept in contact with Xan on a daily basis, letting him know about their well-being, and he did the same. Xan set up a privately funded lab with the money he earned from HCF, attempting to find a way to cure the red, glowing eyes.**

**Two years passed, and Xan's research was successful. First, on himself, then on Leon and Claire - who grew further apart from Xan and had a baby just last month. They named the baby Christopher Xander Kennedy. He took after Leon most, but without the red glowing eyes of the parents. The effects were wearing off of the virus, and people went back to their normal lives in that town near the ruins of HCF; people went on dying as they were meant to, but there were never any unexplained deaths or disappearances as there were before. Everything was back to normal for the rest of the world.**

**Xan's research complete, he gave up on science altogether, opting instead to become a writer, starting with fictionalized versions of the events of his past... The village... HCF... His novels went on to sell millions, no one besides Leon and Claire knowing the real truth behind them. He shared his profits with them, hoping to provide for them and their newborn son. Not one to give interviews, a local news camera crew caught up with him, and when asked "What was your inspiration to write the novels? Everyone is dying to know!" He merely replied, behind dark sunglasses, with newly dyed blonde hair, eyes glowing red as he spoke, "I always wanted to have my own Umbrella for a rainy day..." and walked away, laughing maniacally as he opened a red and black umbrella on the sunniest day in the middle of summer. **

**"Was that really the Xander Meadows who wrote those novels?" asked the woman as he walked away, still laughing to himself, shuddering as the sound of his laughter made her skin crawl, Leon and Claire getting the same uneasy feeling as they watched the broadcast at home, and "Chris" giggled, eyes glowing red for a split second, before returning to normal. The world will never know... THE END **


End file.
